Ware thinks the 4-3 will keep him healthier

The Cowboys saw a welcome sight as they opened training camp, with a healthy DeMarcus Ware for the first time in a while.

Of course, they lost defensive end Tyrone Crawford to an apparent Achilles tear and Anthony Spencer was pulled from some drills when his knee flared up.

But as it pertains to Ware, who played through shoulder problems last year and had surgery this offseason, the news is good.

In fact, he thinks switching to a 4-3 defense could keep him around for years to come.

“It’s a little bit easier transition; now you are putting your hand in the dirt and you are pass rushing 99, we’ll say 94 percent of the time,” Ware sad, via Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “At outside linebacker there are lot more moving parts and to me it’s easier to get hurt. At defensive end, you’re not moving as much. It’s more technique. You’re using savviness to make plays.

“I think being more fundamentally sound should keep me healthier during the season. I feel like this should extend my career.”

They need to do whatever they can to protect him. Spencer’s contract situation makes him a one-year player, and Ware’s been one of the league’s best pass-rushers, so for the long-term stability of the defense, they hope he’s right.